Forecast

Leanne Goldberg tranforms her home, one project at a time

DIY Diva

Brianna Snyder/518Life
| on June 24, 2014

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 1of/22

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 22

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 2 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects. She built this treehouse for her sons almost totally by herself. “Most of it I made with salvaged material,” she says. “Again — staying in budget.” less

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects. She built this treehouse for her sons almost ... more

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 3 of 22

Goldberg saw an outside table at Restoration Hardware that she loved. But it cost $4,000, “which nobody can afford,” she says. “So I just made it.”

Goldberg saw an outside table at Restoration Hardware that she loved. But it cost $4,000, “which nobody can afford,” she says. “So I just made it.”

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 4 of 22

Goldberg saw an outside table at Restoration Hardware that she loved. But it cost $4,000, “which nobody can afford,” she says. “So I just made it.”

Goldberg saw an outside table at Restoration Hardware that she loved. But it cost $4,000, “which nobody can afford,” she says. “So I just made it.”

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 5 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 6 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 7 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 8 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 9 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 10 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 11 of 22

Goldberg build the bed and headboard in the master bedroom. The cabinets were store-bought, however, but they were unfinished — so Goldberg finished them.

Goldberg build the bed and headboard in the master bedroom. The cabinets were store-bought, however, but they were unfinished — so Goldberg finished them.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 12 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 13 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 14 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 15 of 22

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Before she became a full-time mom, Goldberg, like her husband, was a science teacher. You can tell by Goldberg’s amazing precision in the design of her projects.

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 16 of 22

“I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”

“I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 17 of 22

That’s not wallpaper. That’s stenciling, which Goldberg painstakingly did a little bit every day. “That took me forever,” she says. “But when you’re a stay-at-home mom, you have no money but you certainly have time.” less

That’s not wallpaper. That’s stenciling, which Goldberg painstakingly did a little bit every day. “That took me forever,” she says. “But when you’re a stay-at-home mom, you have no money but you ... more

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 18 of 22

That’s not wallpaper. That’s stenciling, which Goldberg painstakingly did a little bit every day. “That took me forever,” she says. “But when you’re a stay-at-home mom, you have no money but you certainly have time.” less

That’s not wallpaper. That’s stenciling, which Goldberg painstakingly did a little bit every day. “That took me forever,” she says. “But when you’re a stay-at-home mom, you have no money but you ... more

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 19 of 22

This shelf, in the home office, is one of the first things Goldberg built, which is impressive for a first-timer. The shelf is an interesting and complex arrangement of geometric shapes. When asked why she went so big for her first project, she says, “Why not, right?” less

This shelf, in the home office, is one of the first things Goldberg built, which is impressive for a first-timer. The shelf is an interesting and complex arrangement of geometric shapes. When asked why she went ... more

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 20 of 22

“I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”

“I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 21 of 22

“I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”

“I’ve always been a DIY type of girl,” Goldberg says, laughing. “I’m never without a project.”

Photo: Vincent Giordano/518Life

Image 22 of 22

Leanne Goldberg tranforms her home, one project at a time

1 / 22

Back to Gallery

Leanne Goldberg always knew she was going to be a stay-at-home mom. Her two sons — Caleb, 9, and Shane, 7 — are now in school and out of the house during the day, so Goldberg started to explore ways to improve her home without spending a lot of money (She and her husband bought the house in 2005.)

"Obviously, being a stay-at-home mom doesn't provide you with a lot of resources, so you have to find ways to get what you want on a budget," Goldberg says. She discovered the DIY site annawhite.com and fell in love immediately. "She basically tells women how to build things. She made it sound like there's no reason you can't do these things, and I tried and realized there is no reason I can't do this, as long as you can make the effort."

Golberg has learned to lay flooring, build shelves, desks and beds, use any tool in the shed and do it all on her own — although her husband and kids do help, if they're around. "I've always been a DIY type of girl," Goldberg says, laughing. "I'm never without a project."